Game-table cushion



J an. 4,1927. 1,613,403

J. O. MILLER GAME TABLE CUSHION Filed Sept. 15, 1922 Jill/6717507";

Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE...

JOHN O. MILLER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A$SIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWICK-IBALKE- COLLENDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A GORIORATION'OF DELA- WARE.

GAME-TABLE CUSHION.

Application filed September 15, 1922. Serial No. 588,317.

Billiard and pocket billiard balls are generally of a standard size but it has been the practice for many years to turn down such balls to correct distortion, to remove spots, and for other reasons. It is a well known fact that ivory balls made perfect in size and shape will often in the course of time become distorted as the result of temperature, climatic or other conditions and in order that they maybe satisfactorily used it is necessary to turn them down to correct shape, and in doing this they are necessarily reduced in size.

It has been customary to make rubber cushions for billiard and pocket billiard tables of a shape and size and to position them with reference to the bed of the table so that the balls will engage the nose of the cushion in a proper relation thereto to secure the most satisfactory results; but no attempt has been made heretofore, so far as I am aware, to enable the use of balls which have been turned down as well as balls of standard size with correspondingly satisfactory results.

It is the object of my invention to provide a cushion which will produce results substantially as satisfactory with balls of less than the standard size as well as with standard balls.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a cushion having a large volume of rubber disposed to react upon the ball and impart thereto a speedy rebound, thereby enlivening the game and increasing interest therein.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated a selected embodiment of the invention which has been found entirely satisfactory in actual use and referring thereto The figure illustrates a sectional view of a billiard table showing a ball of standard size in full lines and a ball of reduced diameter indicated in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawings the cushion 5 is mounted on the cushion strip 6 which is carried by the rail designated 7 generally, upon the bed 8. The usual cloth covermg 9 is provided for the bed and extends up over the cushion and its strip. The cushion strip has an inclined front face 6 and the cushion is secured thereon by glue or other suitable means.

The cushion has a top face 10 slightly inclined from the horizontal, a flat nose 11 slightly inclined rearwardly from the vertical a front face 12 inclined rearwardly at a greater angle from the vertical than the nose and connected with the nose by step 1.3. The bottom 1 f of the cushion is slightly inclined upwardly from the horizontal. Thus a cushion is provided which contains a large volume of rubber and presents a cross section in which the rubber is distributed in a manner calculatedto produce a speedy rebound of the ball.

The nose extends from the top to the bottom a suiiicientwidth to accommodate balls reduced in size as well as balls of standard size, and this width is definitely fixed by the top face 10 and the step 13. And when I say reduced I mean within such limits as are customary. The full lines indicate a ball 15 of standard size and the dotted lines indicate a. ball 16 of reduced size and show how such balls will engage the nose. It will be observed that in each case the ball has ample contact with the nose of the cushion between the top thereof and the step so that whether the ball is of standard size or of reduced size it engages the cushion and is acted upon by the cushion in substantially the same way. The construction of the cushion is such that the entire volume of rubber between the nose and the back of the cushion above the step 13 is brought into action upon impact of the ball and the lower part of the cushion is shaped to permit sufficient freedom of movement of the upper part under such impact.

My invention is simple in character but it is designed to enable billiard games particularly to be played with more satisfactory and accurate results under conditions generally prevailing than has been possible heretofore, and also to promote interest in the game by providing the cushion with greater life and causing the ball to rebound at greater speed. While there may be some difference in results because a reduced ball does not conform with a standard size ball I believe that my invention will make the difference substantially negligible with the average player and consequently it will improve the game for the average player and produce results corresponding to his skill and enhance his interest in the game.

It may be possible to change the form, shape and size of the cushion illustrated in the drawings Without departing from the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

I claim:

1. The combination with the bed and the cushion strip of a game table, of an integral cushion mounted on the strip and spaced above the bed, said cushion having a top face, a flat nose extending downwardly from said top face and slightly inclined rearwardly from the vertical, and a step extending rearwardly from the bottom of said nose, said top and said step definitely fixing the width of said nose to provide contact with balls of either standard or reduced size.

2. A game table cushion comprising a top face, aflat nose extending downwardly from said top face and slightly inclined rearwardly from the vertical, a step extending rearwardly from the bottom of said nose, said top and said step definitely fixing the width of said nose to provide contact with balls of either standard or reduced size, a front face inclined rearwardly at a greater angle from the vertical than is the nose and connected to said nose by said step, and an inclined bottom connecting the back of said cushion with said front face.

8. The combination with the bed and the cushion strip of a game table, said cushion strip having an inclined front, of an integral cushion mounted on the strip and spaced above the bed, said cushion being wider at its upper part than at its lower part and having an inclined back engaged with said strip, a downwardly inclined top, and an upwardly inclined bottom, said upper part having a flat nose of substantial length eX- tending downward from the top of the cushion and slightly inclined rearward from the vertical, and said lower part having a retracted face inclined rearward from the vertical at a greater degree than the nose.

JOHN o. MILLER. 

